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LA County Parks outlines recovery progress, $64M raised but major funding gaps remain
Summary
LA County Parks told the Altadena Town Council it has raised roughly $64 million for post-fire park recovery but has received no FEMA funding and still faces large infrastructure needs; officials asked the community to continue fundraising and outlined a phased reopening schedule for parks including Loma Alta, Charles White and Farnsworth.
LA County Parks Director Norma Garcia Gonzalez told the Altadena Town Council on July 21 that the department has raised about $64 million in philanthropy and grants toward park recovery but has not received FEMA assistance for Altadena projects. "To date we've received zero dollars from FEMA," Norma Garcia Gonzalez said, adding that the county’s park system suffered what staff estimate as more than $200 million in impact.
Deputy Director Chester Kano and project leads walked the council through park-by-park status. Loma Alta Park and Triangle Park have reopened; Charles White Park is in active design with $1.4 million in ongoing funding secured for initial phases and a groundbreaking planned for September. Chester Kano said the Charles White project will include a new playground, community building and wet-play area in phase one.
Farnsworth Park remains closed to the public for safety and infrastructure reasons; Parks staff said the site lacks parkwide electrical service and a full irrigation system and is not yet safe for volunteers. Parks described a coordination plan with the Dodgers for a Dodger Dream Field and a STEM wall at Farnsworth, with a planned groundbreaking in November.
Eaton Canyon and the Altadena Trails network are receiving concentrated ecological restoration and invasive-plant removal; LA County Parks reported large volunteer and staff efforts, including more than 200 U‑bags of removed invasive plants (equivalent cited as work across dozens of acres).
Parks officials asked the council and residents to continue fundraising through the LA County Parks Foundation, noting donors can earmark gifts for specific parks. "We are fundraising. We are fundraising," Garcia Gonzalez said, asking for continued community advocacy and support.
Parks also outlined fundraising shortfalls and long-term needs: staff presented aggregate infrastructure estimates in the hundreds of millions and said additional state and federal support remains critical. The presentation included a QR code and a county contact address so residents can access the full slide packet and sign up to volunteer once sites are certified safe.
